Thursday, February 13, 2025
0819 GMT — The Palestinian resistance group Hamas has said it did not want the Gaza ceasefire agreement to collapse.
Mediators are exerting pressure for the deal to be fully implemented, ensure Israel abides by a humanitarian protocol and resume exchanges of Israeli hostages held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners and detainees held by Israel, Hamas said in a statement.
Israel has called up military reservists to brace for a possible re-eruption of war in Gaza if Hamas fails to meet a Saturday deadline to free further Israeli hostages.
0741 GMT — Palestinian sources report progress in Gaza truce crisis talks
Palestinian sources close to negotiations have reported progress in efforts to salvage the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, with a view to ensuring that a captive-prisoner exchange goes ahead this weekend as planned.
"There is progress," one source told AFP, adding that mediators had obtained from Israel a "promise... to put in place a humanitarian protocol starting from this morning".
"Hamas has confirmed to Egyptian officials its commitment... to conducting the sixth exchange of prisoners on time, on Saturday, as soon as Israel honours its commitment," another source said.
0232 GMT — Israel-Hamas prisoner swap nearing resolution: media
The crisis arising from a prisoner exchange deal between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas seems to be heading toward a resolution, Israeli media reported late Wednesday.
"After Hamas announced that it would suspend the release of prisoners, the crisis that erupted in the prisoner swap agreement appears to be on the path to being resolved," said Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.
The report also said that three Israeli prisoners are expected to be released on Saturday.
An unnamed Israeli official was quoted as saying that both Israel and Hamas want the first phase of the agreement to succeed and Hamas has sent messages indicating its willingness to continue the deal.
The official also said US President Donald Trump's threat that "all hell is going to break out" if Hamas does not release the remaining hostages by noon Saturday "put Israel in a dilemma."
0203 GMT — Israel may ask Hamas to free more prisoners in 1st phase of ceasefire
Israel may ask Hamas to expand the list of Israeli prisoners to be released in the first phase of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement in Gaza, a report has said.
Israel is exploring the possibility of making the request to the Palestinian group through intermediaries Egypt, Qatar and the US, said Channel 12.
The request reportedly comes after some prisoners were found to be sick and injured.
Under the first phase of the ceasefire deal, 33 Israeli hostages are to be released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
0019 GMT — Israel expulsion of Palestinians from Jerusalem 'unjust': Hamas
Hamas condemned a decision by Israel to expel three Palestinian prisoners who were released as part of a recent prisoner swap.
The group condemned the expelling, which also involved their family members.
"The Israeli decision to deport prisoner Tasnim Odeh, prisoner Mohammad Abu Halwa and freed prisoner Zeina Barbar, who was released in the latest prisoner exchange, along with their families from Jerusalem, is a barbaric and unjust decision," it said in a statement.
The group added that the decision was part of a broader Israeli strategy to "empty the holy city of its people" and further "Judaisation and settlement expansion plans" in occupied East Jerusalem.
